Public works device comprises a body a telescopic jib

ABSTRACT

A public works device comprises a body, a telescopic jib including at least two sections of which a first section is pivotally mounted on the body and a second section is mounted for sliding relative to the first section, first control means for controlling relative sliding of the two sections and connected between the two sections, second control means for controlling pivoting of the first section relative to the body and which is connected between the first section and the body, and a linkage pivotally connected to the first and second sections and by which a work tool is freely suspended from the jib, wherein the linkage includes a first arm having three aligned and equally spaced pivot points and which is pivotally coupled directly or indirectly by one extreme pivot point to the second section, a second arm having two aligned pivot points spaced apart by a distance equal to that separating adjacent pivot points of the first arm, the second arm being pivotally coupled by one pivot point directly or indirectly to the first section and pivotally connected by the other pivot point to the intermediate pivot point of the first arm, and the work tool is suspended from the other extreme pivot point of the first arm.

United States Patent [1 1 Cresp [451 May 6,1975

[ PUBLIC WORKS DEVICE COMPRISES A BODY A TELESCOPIC .llB

[75] Inventor: Michel M. Cresp, Ormoy Villers (Oise), France [73] Assignee: Societe Anonyme: Poclain,

Belleville, France 22 Filed: May 16, 1974 21 Appl. No.: 470,620

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data May 22, 1973 France 7318585 52 us. Cl 173/38; 173/43 [51] Int. Cl. E2lc 5/11 [58] Field of Search 173/38, 43; 182/2;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,771,273 1l/1956 Pond 173/38 2,927,705 3/1960 Girardi..... 182/2 UX 3,095,061 6/1963 Gregory 182/2 X 3,295,800 1/1967 Qvarnstrom et a1. 173/43 X 3,306,374 2/1967 Strijmnes 173/43 3,470,981 10/1969 Huxley 182/2 X 3,476,193 11/1969 Strtimnes 173/43 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 785,754 11/1955 UnitedKingdom 173/38 Primary Examiner-David H. Brown A ttomey, Agent. or Firm Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper & Scinto [57] ABSTRACT A public works device comprises a body, a telescopic jib including at least two sections of which a first section is pivotally mounted on the body and a second section is mounted for sliding relative to the first section, first control means for controlling relative sliding of the two sections and connected between the two sectionsfsecond control means for controlling pivoting of the first section relative to the body and which is connected between the first section and the body, and a linkage pivotally connected to the first and second sections and by which a work tool is freely suspended from the jib, wherein the linkage includes a first arm having three aligned and equally spaced pivot points and which is pivotally coupled directly or indirectly by one extreme pivot point to the second section, a second arm having two aligned pivot points spaced apart by a distance equal to that separating adjacent pivot points of the first arm, the second arm being pivotally coupled by one pivot point directly or indirectly to the first section and pivotally connected by the other pivot point to the intermediate pivot point of the first arm, and the work tool is suspended from the other extreme pivot point of the first arm.

5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures 76 I I /b PATENTEWY saws SHEET 10F PMENTEDHAY 6l975 SHEET 2 BF 3 PUBLIC WORKS DEVICE COMPRISES A BODY A TELESCOPIC JIB The present invention is concerned with civil engi neering devices having telescopic jibs from which a work tool is suspended.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a device comprising:

- a body;

a telescopic jib including at least two sections of which a first section is pivotally mounted on the body and a second section is mounted for sliding relative to the first section;

first control means for controlling relative sliding of the two sections and connected between the two sections;

second control means for controlling pivoting of the first section relative to the body and which is connected between the first section and the body;

- a work tool;

a linkage pivotally connected to the first and second sections and by which the work tool is freely suspended from the jib;

wherein the linkage includes a first arm having three aligned and equally spaced pivot points and which is pivotally coupled by one extreme pivot point to the second section, a second arm having two aligned pivot points spaced apart by a distance equal to that separating adjacent pivot points of the first arm, the second arm being pivotally coupled by one pivot point to the first section and by the other pivot point to the intermediary pivot point of the first arm, and the work tool is suspended from the other extreme pivot point of the first arm.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a device comprising:

- a body;

a telescopic jib including at least two sections of which a first section is pivotally mounted on the body and a second section is mounted so as to slide relative to the first section;

first control means for controlling relative sliding of the two sections and connected between the two sections;

second controlling means for controlling pivoting of the first section relative to the body and which is connected between the first section and the body;

- a work too];

a linkage pivotally connected to the first and second sections and by which the work tool is freely suspended from the jib;

wherein the linkage includes a first and further pairs of arms of which each arm is provided with three aligned and equally spaced pivot points, the two arms being connected together by their intermediary pivot points, the arms of the first pair being connected by one of their extreme pivot points to the first and second sections respectively, the first and further pairs of arms being connected together in succession, each arm of each further pair being connected by one of its extreme pivot points to one of the extreme pivot points of the corresponding arm of the preceding pair, and the last pair of arms remote from the first pair carries a first arm which is parallel and identical to that arm of the first pair which is connected to the second section and of which the extreme free pivot point forms the point of suspension of the work too], and a second arm which is parallel to the other arm of the first pair and is provided with two pivot points, the spacing of which is equal to the spacing of the intermediary pivot point from one of the extreme pivot points of the other arm of the first pair, the second arm being connected to one of the arms of the last pair and to the intermediary pivot point of the first arm.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a device comprising:

- a body;

a telescopic jib including at least two sections of which a first section is pivotally mounted on the body and a second section is mounted to slide relative to the first section;

first control means for controlling relative sliding of the two sections and connected between the two sections;

second control means for controlling pivoting of the first section relative to the body and which is connected between the first section and the body;

a first link and a second link, the first link being connected to the first section by a first pivot, the second link being connected to the second section by a second pivot and the two links being connected together by a third pivot;

a work tool which is freely suspended from the second link at a given point;

wherein the second pivot, the third pivot and the given point are aligned, the second pivot and the given point being situated to either side of the third pivot, and the distances separating the third pivot from, respectively, the first pivot, the second pivot and the given point are equal.

The invention will be better understood from the following description of embodiments thereof, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are views in elevation of a first embodiment of a device according to the invention, in which the working equipment is disposed respectively in a first configuration before the completion of a hole and in a second configuration after completion of the hole;

FIG. 3 is a view in elevation of part of a second embodiment of a device according to the invention.

The device shown in FIG. 1 comprises a chassis l, fitted with wheels 2 and a turret 3, which is mounted to rotate on chassis 1 about an axis 4. The chassis l is equipped with stabilisation jacks 5 which, in use, rest on the ground 6.

It will be noted that a section 8 of a telescopic jib 7a is connected to the turret 3 at pivot 9. A ram 10, connected between the turret 3 and the section 8, controls in a known manner, the elevation of the section 8. This section is, as shown, arranged horizontally parallel to the direction of telescoping. The second section 11a of the jib 7a is completely extended from section 8; a ram 12a connected between the two sections for regulating their relative position is also completely extended.

Section 11a is provided with a jib-head 13a, which is equipped in the normal way with a pulley 14a mounted to rotate round pivot 15a. A first link 17a, formed by an arm with a length l, is connected to lugs 16 on section 8 by pin 18, and a second link 19a formed by an arm with a length 21, is coupled to the pivot 15a. The second link 19a has two other pivots 20a and 21a, which are equally spaced apart by a distance equal to length 1. It will be noted that in addition the first link 17a is connected to the second link 19a at the pivot In addition, support 22a of a borer 23a is suspended from the second link 19a by the extreme pivot pin 21a, the hydraulic motor 24a for driving the borer is itself suspended from the support 22a by means of a pivot pin 25a orthogonal to the pivot 21a. It will be noted that the end of the borer 23a is positioned on the vertical axis 27 of the hole 26 to be dug.

The components of the device of FIG. 1 are found again in FIG. 2. Those components which have not moved have exactly the same references, whilst the components which have had their positions changed are referred to by the same reference number followed by the letter b instead of a.

Thus, the jib has taken up its fully retracted position 7b, the section 8 remaining horizontal, the other section having been completely retracted to 11b in the interior of section 8, by the action of the ram 12b. The jib-head 13b and the lugs 16 have come together so that the pivots 18 and b are near to each other. The arms 17b and 19b are now lower, still linked at the pivot 20b. The extreme pivot of the arm 19b has arrived at 21b, the borer 23b and its driving motor 24b being suspended there. It should be noted that the hole 26 has now been bored out, and the excavated soil has been deposited at 28 around the orifice.

In the embodiment of FIG. 3, we find again the jib 7a and the pivots 18 and 15a, as well as the borer 23a. However, the mechanical linkage between the jib and the borer is slightly different to that of FIGS. 1 and 2, although having a similar function.

A multiplicity of identical arms 29 forms the linkage. Each arm 29 bears three pivots equally spaced apart by a distance L. These arms are grouped two by two, linked at their intermediate pivot points 30. In addition, a pair of arms 29 is coupled to the preceding pair by the connecting of each of its arms to one of the arms of the preceding pair at the extreme pivots 31 of the arms. One of the extreme pivots of the two first arms coincides with the pivots 18 and 15a respectively. Finally, an arm 29c, identical to arms 29, is linked by one of its extreme pivots to the next to last arm 29 which is parallel to the arm linked at pivot 18, whilst an arm 29d bearing two pivots spaced apart by distance L is linked to the next to last arm which is parallel to the arm 29 linked at pivot 15a and to the arm 29c at its intermediate pivot 30c. The extreme pivot pin 31c of the arm 29c acts as the suspension for the support 22a.

The advantages of the two devices which have been described will now be discussed.

Firstly, as far as the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is concerned, it should be noted that there is a geometric peculiarity in the arrangement adopted. The pivots 18, 15a and 21a (or 18, 15b and 21b) are at the apices of a right angle triangle, of which the apex at the right angle is formed by the pivot 18. In effect the median l8 20a (18 20b) of the base 15a 21a (15b 21b) has a length equal to 1, that is, half the length of the base which is a geometrical characteristic of a right angle triangle.

The above having been noted, it may be deduced that the pivot 21a (21b) is always perpendicular to the straight line 18 15a (18 15b) passing through pivot 18. The straight line 18 15a being permanently horizontal, the pivot 21b is positioned on the vertical line 27 passing through the pivot l8.

Further, it is obvious that the retraction of the jib 7a to 7b causes the pivot 15a to approach the pivot 18 and, correspondingly, lowers the pivot 21a to 21b. This vertical displacement of the pivot 21a allows the precise lowering movement of the borer 23a, thus allowing this to complete the hole 26.

Naturally the same kinematics are adaptable for the support of a tool other than a drill. In this way, in so far as concerns single tools for digging, a clam-shell bucket may be suspended from the arm 19a (19b) at the pivot 21a (21b).

Further, it will be apprecited that it is necessary that the jib have at least two sections and that the arms 17a and 19a should be linked to two distinct sections, one of these (8) being fixed in relation to the turret 3. The jib may, however, have more than two sections, the arm 19a being linked to one or other of the sliding sections.

As far as the embodiment of FIG. 3 is concerned, it will be noted that the various arms 29, 29c and 29d are connected in a manner to form a succession of rhombs connected to each other at common apices, and having equal and opposite angles at the apices. Taking into account the distance L between the pivots 30 31, 30 18, 3O 15a, 31 30c and 30c 31c, it is clear that the pivot 31c is disposed permanently on a straight line through pivot 18 perpendicular to the straight line passing through the pivots 18 and 15a. The straight line 18 15a being permanently horizontal, the pivot 31c is permanently disposed on the vertical 27, coinciding with the axis of the hole, and displaced along this vertical as a function of the extension of the rhombs. This extension is itself controlled by the retraction of section 11a into section 8.

It is thus possible, both with the device of FIGS. 1 and 2, and with that shown in part in FIG. 3, to dig an exactly vertical hole, and to do this by using, without any modifications, the existing telescopic jib of a motorised crane.

It should be noted that the means for adapting an existing crane are formed purely by linked arms, and do not include any costly motors, hydraulic or other. The displacement of the tool is obtained by using the ram 12a of the existing telescopic jib, or any other motorised device for controlling the telescoping of the jib. Thus, the invention allows for a viable and inexpensive adaptation, and eliminates the need for having recourse to specialised devices, borer supports or other similar equipment.

What is claimed is:

1. A device comprising:

- a'body;

- a telescopic jib including at least two sections of which a first section is pivotally mounted on the body and a second section is mounted for sliding relative to the first section;

- first control means for controlling relative sliding of the two sections and connected between the two sections;

- second control means for controlling pivoting of the first section relative to the body and which is connected between the first section and the body;

- a work tool;

- a linkage pivotally connected to the first and second sections and by which the work tool is freely suspended from the jib;

- wherein the linkage includes a first arm having three v aligned and equally spaced pivot points and which is pivotally coupled by one extreme pivot point to the second section, a second arm having two aligned pivot points spaced apart by a distance equal to that separating adjacent pivot points of the first arm, the second arm being pivotally coupled by one pivot point to the first section and by the other pivot point to the intermediary pivot point of the first arm, and the work tool is suspended from the other extreme pivot point of the first arm.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second arms are connected directly to the second and first sections respectively.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second arms are pivotally coupled to the second and first sections respectively by at least one pair of arms of which each is provided with three aligned and equally spaced pivot points, the arms of the pair of arms being connected together by their intermediary pivot points and being connected to the first and second arms and to the second and first sections by their extreme pivot points.

4. A device comprising:

- a body;

- a telescopic jib including at least two sections of which a first section is pivotally mounted on the body and a second section is mounted so as to slide relative to the first section;

- first control means for controlling relative sliding of the two sections and connected between the two sections;

- second controlling means for controlling pivoting of the first section relative to the body and which is connected between the first section and the body;

- a work too];

- a linkage pivotally connected to the first and second sections and by which the work tool is freely suspended from the jib;

- wherein the linkage includes a first and further pairs of arms of which each arm is provided with three aligned and equally spaced pivot points, the two arms being connected together by their intermediary pivot points, the arms of the first pair being connected by one of their extreme pivot points to the first and second sections respectively, the first and further pairs of arms being connected together in succession, each arm of each further pair being connected by one of its extreme pivot points to one of the extreme pivot points of the corresponding arm of the preceding pair, and the last pair of arms remote from the first pair carries a first arm which is parallel and identical to that arm of the first pair which is connected to the second section and of which the extreme free pivot point forms the point of suspension of the work tool, and a second arm which is parallel to the other arm of the first pair and is provided with two pivot points, the spacing of which is equal to the spacing of the intermediary pivot point from one of the extreme pivot points of the other arm of the first pair, the second arm being connected to one of the arms of the last pair and to the intermediary pivot point of the first arm.

5. A device comprising: a body; a telescopic jib including at least two sections of which a first section is pivotally mounted on the body and a second section is mounted to slide relative to the first section;

- first control means for controlling relative sliding of the two sections and connected between the two sections;

- second control means for controlling pivoting of the first section relative to the body and which is connected between the first section and the body;

- a first link and a second link, the first link being connected to the first section by a first pivot, the second link being connected to the second section by a second pivot and the two links being connected together by a third pivot;

- a work tool which is freely suspended from the second link at a given point;

- wherein the second pivot, the third pivot and the given point are aligned, the second pivot and the given point being situated to either side of the third pivot, and the distances separating the third pivot from, respectively, the first pivot, the second pivot and the given point are equal. 

1. A device comprising: - a body; - a telescopic jib including at least two sections of which a first section is pivotally mounted on the body and a second section is mounted for sliding relative to the first section; - first control means for controlling relative sliding of the two sections and connected between the two sections; - second control means for controlling pivoting of the first section relative to the body and which is connected between the first section and the body; - a work tool; - a linkage pivotally connected to the first and second sections and by which the work tool is freely suspended from the jib; - wherein the linkage includes a first arm having three aligned and equally spaced pivot points and which is pivotally coupled by one extreme pivot point to the second section, a second arm having two aligned pivot points spaced apart by a distance equal to that separating adjacent pivot points of the first arm, the second arm being pivotally coupled by one pivot point to the first section and by the other pivot point to the intermediary pivot point of the first arm, and the work tool is suspended from the other extreme pivot point of the first arm.
 2. A device acCording to claim 1, wherein the first and second arms are connected directly to the second and first sections respectively.
 3. A device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second arms are pivotally coupled to the second and first sections respectively by at least one pair of arms of which each is provided with three aligned and equally spaced pivot points, the arms of the pair of arms being connected together by their intermediary pivot points and being connected to the first and second arms and to the second and first sections by their extreme pivot points.
 4. A device comprising: - a body; - a telescopic jib including at least two sections of which a first section is pivotally mounted on the body and a second section is mounted so as to slide relative to the first section; - first control means for controlling relative sliding of the two sections and connected between the two sections; - second controlling means for controlling pivoting of the first section relative to the body and which is connected between the first section and the body; - a work tool; - a linkage pivotally connected to the first and second sections and by which the work tool is freely suspended from the jib; - wherein the linkage includes a first and further pairs of arms of which each arm is provided with three aligned and equally spaced pivot points, the two arms being connected together by their intermediary pivot points, the arms of the first pair being connected by one of their extreme pivot points to the first and second sections respectively, the first and further pairs of arms being connected together in succession, each arm of each further pair being connected by one of its extreme pivot points to one of the extreme pivot points of the corresponding arm of the preceding pair, and the last pair of arms remote from the first pair carries a first arm which is parallel and identical to that arm of the first pair which is connected to the second section and of which the extreme free pivot point forms the point of suspension of the work tool, and a second arm which is parallel to the other arm of the first pair and is provided with two pivot points, the spacing of which is equal to the spacing of the intermediary pivot point from one of the extreme pivot points of the other arm of the first pair, the second arm being connected to one of the arms of the last pair and to the intermediary pivot point of the first arm.
 5. A device comprising: - a body; - a telescopic jib including at least two sections of which a first section is pivotally mounted on the body and a second section is mounted to slide relative to the first section; - first control means for controlling relative sliding of the two sections and connected between the two sections; - second control means for controlling pivoting of the first section relative to the body and which is connected between the first section and the body; - a first link and a second link, the first link being connected to the first section by a first pivot, the second link being connected to the second section by a second pivot and the two links being connected together by a third pivot; - a work tool which is freely suspended from the second link at a given point; - wherein the second pivot, the third pivot and the given point are aligned, the second pivot and the given point being situated to either side of the third pivot, and the distances separating the third pivot from, respectively, the first pivot, the second pivot and the given point are equal. 